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He was actually very upbeat about the whole thing. He photographed all the offending growths, felt them a bit and said he would recommend going with liposuction, if that is possible.

Sometimes, he said, the material in the hump, etc., is too fibrous for liposuction, and if it should turn out that way, he would then just slice me open and carve it out.

He also wants to try liposuction first because it is less likely to cause any serious nerve damage to the nerves running up the back of my neck. If there is damage, I most likely would lose some of the feeling in my scalp, which he jokingly called becoming a numbskull.

He will be submitting it to my insurance to find out whether it will pay for the surgery. He said he would include a letter explaining they pain and back problems the humpettes are causing.

He also said some insurance companies reject prior authorizations from plastic surgeons out of hand, but he would then appeal it if need be.

Seems like a nice doctor. Kinda cute too, in a very white, blond and excruciatingly straight way.

Yay! I'm happy to hear you are making progress with this, Mark, and that you've found a doctor that is willing to work with you and your insurance company. I hope your insurance concurs, or you'll have to open a can of whoop'ass on them!

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"Life in Lubbock, Texas, taught me two things: One is that God loves you and you're going to burn in hell. The other is that sex is the most awful, filthy thing on earth and you should save it for someone you love." - Butch Hancock, Musician, The Flatlanders

Aztecan...even if it's good news...make sure you ask about what bills you still might be liable for. I'm getting hit by medical bills from my unfortunate extended stay at the hospital. Of course, I was unconscious for the first three days so I couldn't ask if those attending me took my insurance. Apparently none do...just got a new one today for $3,000. The guy saw me three times in the ICU. Being unconscious I'll have to take his word for it.

That goes for the hospital too. That's $30,000 right now. I try not to think about it...doing my best Scarlett O'Hara...

Aztecan...even if it's good news...make sure you ask about what bills you still might be liable for.

That is also a concern for me. I recently found that my deductible with my health plan jumped from $1,000 to $2,000. I would have to pay that up front and then a percentage of the total bill as well. That is assuming the insurance will pay for anything.

I find this not knowing very irritating, but I guess I have to wait and see.

Mark, here's wishing you the best! I've been + since 1992 and have lipodystrophy, both kinds, the loss and the gain of fat in certain areas. My buffalo hump has been a big discomfort for me for over 10 years and causes me neck and back pain. I don't have insurance, at least any that would cover "preexisting" condition. So, I feel that I'm stuck but want the best for you.

Good to hear your insurance company approved the surgery. You'll be a new man. Well, sort of new.

Don't know if you've had surgery before but it's a breeze. The hard part is the after. I always try to see if I can catch when I'm hit with the stuff. Never can...one minute I'm trying to sense it, next I'm becoming conscious and then open my eyes with it being hours or in that recent case, days, later.

the 24 hour period i think is to serve two purposes, the first is to make sure that you don't have any problems after anesthesia, throwing up while asleep, heart issues, etc. and i think that the second one is preventative on the doc/anesthesiologist part so they don't get sued if something does happen. i've had several surgeries and had to be under and every time they said that same thing, finally asked one cooperative doc and he indicated the above two reasons. made sense to me. but i also found that after about 4 to 6 hours after surgery i was feeling fairly normal and sent my "caretaker" home. one time i did use a service that provides short term babysitting for people in this situation and if i remember right it wasn't cheap but not expensive either.

the 24 hour period i think is to serve two purposes, the first is to make sure that you don't have any problems after anesthesia, throwing up while asleep, heart issues, etc. and i think that the second one is preventative on the doc/anesthesiologist part so they don't get sued if something does happen. i've had several surgeries and had to be under and every time they said that same thing, finally asked one cooperative doc and he indicated the above two reasons. made sense to me. but i also found that after about 4 to 6 hours after surgery i was feeling fairly normal and sent my "caretaker" home. one time i did use a service that provides short term babysitting for people in this situation and if i remember right it wasn't cheap but not expensive either.

ps forgot to tell you good luck with the surgery i hope that it will do what you want it to.

Nixsmail, I understand you meant well, but as someone who was only diagnosed in 2007, you are not permitted to post in the Long Term Survivor's forum. Only members who were diagnosed before 1996 are permitted to post here.

Please make sure you read this forum's Welcome Thread. Please also read any other Welcome threads - they appear stickied at the top of some forum's index pages. They often contain posting guidelines that pertain to that particular forum. Also read the main Welcome Thread in the Living forum - it governs the whole forum.

Please do not post in the LTS forum again, and thank you for your cooperation.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

I recently had a precancerous lesion removed from my back and there was a quite a lot of bleeding. The doc asked if I was on fish oil...which I am. He said it can cause more bleeding so please check with your surgeon on his thoughts.

The reason for 24 hours is something can go wrong after they've cleared you. That was my case. All the doctors had signed off that I was good to go. I was at the point where all I had to do was wake up, have my friend come pick me up and go home...but...I didn't wake up, I stopped breathing because my vocal cords spasmed shut. If friends can stay with you, great, otherwise look into a visiting nurse service...the hospital or your doctor might know about that...or maybe find out what it would cost you to stay at the hospital. Can't hurt to ask.

Anyway, good luck, and follow instructions. I've had friends go in for surgery only to have it be canceled because they took something everyone forget to tell them not to take. Let them know everything you take to make sure it passes muster.

24 hour support post op, will make that time not only a lot safer but a lot less unpleasant. Don't try to fudge on this... I'd hate for comments around a casket along the lines of "Mark looks so peacefull without his lumps and bumps, a pity that it was for only 20 hours."Don't forget that it doesn't need to be the same person doing the whole 24 hours. Most folks will be happy to help out, but give them plenty of notice.

Wishing you all the best with the op, the recovery, and the finances. Its good to hear your staying with a friend afterwards. Will be checking in for your first post op post.Lots off love to youmichael

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"If we can find the money to kill people, we can find the money to help people ." Tony Benn

Find an old version of "Operation" and give it to the doctor to ask him to practice before he works on you.

Or get a magic marker and mark on parts of your body..."Nope, this ain't where you're suppose to be."

Even better work up some good operating room jokes..."You know now many surgeons it takes to screw in a light bulb?..."

You'll have them rolling in the aisles and, at the same time, alleviate any pre-surgery fears you might have. Frankly, I've never worried about going under the knife. I'm out, if something goes wrong I won't know it. Besides you can only collected from suing if you die.

I'll be thinking of you, Mark. I hope everything goes well. And we're looking forward to the "after" photos.

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"Life in Lubbock, Texas, taught me two things: One is that God loves you and you're going to burn in hell. The other is that sex is the most awful, filthy thing on earth and you should save it for someone you love." - Butch Hancock, Musician, The Flatlanders

You will be fine Mark and I am not surprised you feel nervous I think all off us can understand that , have you got a planned period off time off work? Hope its a good enough amount , all the best from the Orkney,s.michael

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"If we can find the money to kill people, we can find the money to help people ." Tony Benn